Rising stars to get proper test in quality Morton Games line-up

AFTER all the airport hugs and handshakes, now it’s time for their real homecoming.

At the Morton Games in Santry tonight, some of the brightest lights in Irish athletics look set to upstage the horde of high-class international arrivals, with teenage medal-winners Sarah Healy and Sommer Lecky set to star after recent exploits abroad.

Healy, the European U-18 champion over 1,500m and 3,000m, is the fastest 17-year-old middle-distance female in the world and will look to crown her superb season with a strong showing in tonight’s 1,500m.

With a best of 4:09.25, she’s an athlete of a very different calibre to her peers, but she will be face a tougher test against an international field that includes Sweden’s Linn Nilsson, USA’s Cory McGee and Portugal’s Marta Freitas, who have all run between 4:04 and 4:07.

Healy’s coach Eoghan Marnell had discussions with meeting director Noel Guiden about her competing here last year at 16, with both deciding it would come a little too soon, but now it seems the time is right for her to pit her talent against seasoned international seniors.

“She wants to run fast,” said Guiden. “I think she’s going to run really, really well.”

In the field events, Tyrone teenager Lecky will be the undoubted star, fresh from her silver medal at last week’s World U-20 Championships where she soared over a huge lifetime best of 1.90m, promising afterwards there was more to come.

Tonight she takes on Canada’s Alyx Treasure and USA’s Liz Patterson, who have both cleared 1.94m. For perspective, the last Olympic title was won with 1.97m.

With a little over a fortnight until the European Championships, there will be huge tests this evening for Mark English, Ciara Mageean and Phil Healy.

English has raced only once this summer, a poor showing in Boston in May, but he has since been training at altitude in Spain and if he is to stand a chance at winning another European medal next month, a strong performance will be required tonight. His rivals include world indoor champion Boris Berian of USA, 1:43 man Michael Rimmer of Britain and Olympic 1,500m finalist Ryan Gregson of Australia.

After a strong run over 1,500m last week, Mageean will step down to 800m where she takes on formidable Irish rivals Síofra Cléirigh-Buttner and Claire Mooney, who have both clocked 2:02 this year. The international challenge is led by France’s Justine Fedronic, who has a best of 1:59.86.

Ireland’s fastest woman will be the star attraction in the 400m, Phil Healy arriving off the back of her national 200m record of 22.99 in Cork on Monday. Her current 400m best of 52.08 looks to be living on borrowed time.

Marcus Lawler and Jeremy Phillips will lead the Irish charge in the men’s 100m, taking on internationals John Teeters, Jeff Demps and Sydney Siame who have all run under 10.10.

And 60 years after Herb Elliott set the mile world record in Santry, there will be a fitting conclusion to the programme with the Morton Mile, which features 13 sub-four-minute milers and will see all athletes run with an inscription of Elliott’s record time on their bibs.

Among this year’s stars is two-time Olympian Lopez Lomong, who has a blistering best of 3:51.45, while Sean Tobin and John Travers will lead the way for the Irish.

For Guiden, the hard work of recent months now feels like a distant memory, the high-class fields he has assembled from across the world set to showcase a flourishing meeting, one that continues to punch above its budgetary weight.

“The athletes like the Irish and they like the Dublin experience and because they get the friendly welcome it does make a difference,” says Guiden. “They genuinely say it’s the highlight of the season, one they all say they’d like to do.”

The main programme gets going at 6.30pm and runs until 9.0pm, with admission €10 for adults and accompanied children U-16 going free.

As Guiden so accurately puts it: “the best value in town”.